When the snow flies and frost covers the ground, thoughts of getting away to a warm locale invade many a travelers’ mind. Unfortunately, with winter travel there’s no escaping flights where dry, recycled air is present and close capacity with other passengers present a goldmine of flu and cold viruses. So, how can you prepare yourself for winter travel and steer clear of the flu bug while still partaking in the vacation you crave? Follow these tips for added confidence during your next cold-weather trip:

Get Vaccinated – According to this week’s FluView report, while activity levels vary across the country, nationally influenza activity is elevated and continues to increase across most key indicators.1 It may seem like a no-brainer to get vaccinated, but the truth is, many people choose to forgo a yearly flu vaccine. If you get the flu vaccine at least two weeks before you travel, you may be less likely to become ill.

Start Healthy. Stay Healthy. – A few days before you are scheduled to leave on your trip, start taking immune support tablets and make sure your diet is healthy. Eating right and maintaining a healthy body are two key components to making your body less susceptible to getting sick. Get your flu vaccine before you go to reduce your risk of catching and spreading the flu.2

Don’t Touch your Face – On any given day your hands will come into contact with thousands of germs. While you’re traveling, that number can skyrocket. All it takes is your hands coming into contact with your face for those viruses to spread. Try to avoid touching your face, mouth, nose, and eyes to reduce the chances that those germs will get into your system and make you sick. Make sure you pack a small bottle of hand sanitizer in a size that’s less than 3oz so you can carry it on the plane.

Wash your hands – When you were growing up, your mom likely told you to wash your hands before every meal. Turns out mom was right. Washing your hands throughout your travels could reduce your risk of getting sick from germs you’ve come into contact with, and help your fellow travelers by stopping the spread of those germs.

Do what you can to safeguard your health up front, and with the right precautions and a little bit of luck, you can be on your way to thoroughly enjoying your warm-weather vacation – without getting sick. Do you have additional travel tips to stay healthy while traveling? We’d love to hear from you. Comment below.

This plan provides insurance coverage that only applies during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home, and automobile insurance policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer or insurance agent or broker. Coverage is offered by Travel Guard Group, Inc (Travel Guard). California lic. no.0B93606, 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54482, www.travelguard.com. CA DOI toll free number: 800-927-HELP. This is only a brief description of the coverage(s) available. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Insurance underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania insurance company, with its principal place of business at 175 Water Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10038. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445. Coverage may not be available in all states. Your travel retailer may not be licensed to sell insurance, and cannot answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. The purchase of travel insurance is not required in order to purchase any other product or service from the Travel Retailer.